“Hello, this is Yasmin’s voicemail. Please don’t leave any messages because I won’t listen to them, nor will I return your call.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the message on my phone’s voicemail, but it might be the kind of message you would hear on the voicemail of someone from Generation Z or Millennials.
(In simple terms, Generation Z, or the new generation, refers to those born between the mid-1990s (1995) and the late 2000s (2010). Millennials, on the other hand, are the generation before Generation Z, born from the early 1980s (1980) to the mid-1990s (1995).)
A recent survey revealed that no one aged 18 to 34 answers phone calls. These individuals tend to ignore or skip calls, but they respond via text messages, or sometimes, they search the number online to check if they know the person calling.
The survey, which involved 2,000 participants, shows that approximately 7% of people aged 18 to 35 prefer texting over phone calls.
For older generations, talking on the phone was a normal thing: My parents spent their teenage years fighting with siblings over who would pick up the phone, and often, the entire family would overhear their conversations. In contrast, I spent my youth replying to text messages.
When I received my pink Nokia phone on my 13th birthday, I became obsessed with texting.
Every afternoon after school, I would spend time texting my friends in 160-character messages… condensing a message into 160 characters was no easy task… I had to repeatedly eliminate unnecessary words, and sometimes, the message’s pronunciation would become so distorted that even an intelligence agency would struggle to decode it.
In 2009, phone calls on mobile phones were very expensive.
When my phone bill arrived, my parents reminded me, “We didn’t buy you this phone to chat all night with your friends.”
Perhaps that’s why the texting generation emerged. Mobile phone calls were made only in emergencies, and occasionally, the landline was used to speak with grandparents. Psychologist Dr. Elena Toroni explains that “Since the younger generation is not accustomed to talking on the phone, it now feels strange to them.”
That’s why when their phone rings or suddenly switches from silent mode to ringtone, some feel anxious because, generally, people under 35 keep their phone ringtones at a low volume.
Over half of the participants in the survey said that they consider an unexpected call to be bad news.
Psychotherapist Eloise Skinner states that phone call anxiety could stem from a past traumatic event, bad luck, or a sense of fear.
She says that as our lives become busier, with less structured working hours, we increasingly find ourselves with less time to talk to friends on the phone. And phone calls end up being reserved for important news, which often can be difficult or unpleasant.
26-year-old Jack Langley agrees: “It’s exactly like that.”
He adds that he never answers calls from unknown numbers because they’re often from scammers or telemarketers.
And no one has the time to search for unknown numbers; it’s just easier to ignore them.
However, not talking on the phone doesn’t mean the younger generation isn’t in touch with their friends: Our chats are full of notifications, including regular messages, memes, gossip, and recently, voice notes as well.
Today, most conversations with friends take place on social media, especially Instagram and Snapchat, where sending pictures and memes along with text is easier.
Though everyone dislikes phone calls, younger generations have mixed opinions about voice notes.
In the survey, 37% of individuals aged 18 to 34 said they prefer voice notes for conversations. In contrast, only 1% of people aged 35 to 54 prefer voice notes over phone calls. 19-year-old student Susie Jones says, “Voice notes are like talking on the phone, but better than phone calls. You can hear your friend’s voice without the pressure, so this soft way of communicating is more enjoyable.”
However, for me, listening to a friend’s 5-minute voice note (where they update me on their life) is exhausting. They often drift off-topic, repeat themselves, and the whole story could be easily conveyed in one or two text messages.
Texting and voice notes keep young people engaged in communication in their unique style, and they pay close attention to everything.
Workplace Phone Habits: How much do your phone habits affect your office tasks?
31-year-old Henry Nelson, a lawyer and content writer, expressed his frustration and anger in a video where he shows how company emails, refusal to work overtime, and avoidance of phone calls from any employee affect him. He says that talking on the phone causes anxiety, and there’s a strange feeling when you’re pressured to provide an immediate response on such a call. That’s why he hates talking on the phone.
According to Toroni, phone calls lead to more open conversations and a greater sense of closeness, while texting makes you feel safer. 27-year-old lawyer Dinja Relik says she avoids calls at work because “they can waste time and distract you from your goal.”
“Over time, the sense of security has grown, and to make a phone call, you need to give the recipient time and attention, which can be a difficult situation for people with busy schedules.”
64-year-old businessman James Holton says that his younger employees rarely answer his phone calls. They either have a preset message saying they’re busy, or they’ve forwarded his number to voicemail, so the call doesn’t go through.
They always have an excuse, with the most common being, “My phone was on silent, so I didn’t see it, and I forgot to call you back.”
He says that he’s noticed a “clear communication gap” between generations, and he has to adapt to these new realities. He believes, “If employees feel more comfortable with text messages, it’s my responsibility to respect that choice.”
While some might argue that this new communication trend proves we’re part of the “glass generation,” it’s not really about that.
It’s about adapting to new trends. Just as 25 years ago people were reluctant to switch from faxes to emails, communication has become much more efficient with change.
Perhaps it’s time to recognize the power of text messages, and just as we left faxes behind in the 90s, we can leave behind the dreaded phone call in 2024.